**Georgian Opposition Unites Against Local Elections**
In a bold move, Elene Khoshtaria, the leader of the Droa party, has ended her hunger strike as she was joined by representatives of seven other opposition parties. These parties have pledged to boycott the October 4 local elections, a decision that has been highly debated within the Georgian opposition.
The boycotting parties include Freedom Square, European Georgia, United National Movement, Strategy Aghmashenebeli, Ahali, Girchi–More Freedom, Droa, and the Federalists. In a joint statement, they expressed their refusal to participate in the elections, stating that it would only serve as a “facade for the illegal Russian regime.” The opposition parties believe that participating in these elections would not be in the best interest of the citizens and would instead provide a legitimacy to the current regime.
Khoshtaria announced the end of her hunger strike, citing the unity among the opposition parties. She stated that this was a new phase of struggle for the opposition, where they will move from a passive resistance to an active one. The statement comes after three days of Khoshtaria’s hunger strike, which was sparked by the jailings of opposition leaders and reports of detained protesters losing family members while in custody.
The unity among the opposition parties is a significant development, but it remains to be seen whether this will influence the decision of Lelo/Strong Georgia and Gakharia-For Georgia, who have not yet announced their positions on participating in the local elections. The debate within the opposition over participation has been contentious, with some viewing it as a betrayal of the ongoing resistance, while others see it as an opportunity to challenge Georgian Dream.
The six opposition leaders, including Khoshtaria, are currently in jail over their boycott of the Georgian Dream parliamentary commission. Five of them have already been sentenced to months in prison. The unity among the opposition parties is a significant development, and it will be interesting to see how this plays out in the lead-up to the local elections.
**Also Read:**
* Treason or Opportunity – Opposition Squabbles over Municipal Elections
* Local Elections: New Divisive Issue for Opposition
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